• A 75-year-old patient with benign thyroid nodules was the hospital’s first patient to undergo the procedure and has been successfully treated

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Tawam Hospital, part of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest healthcare network, shares the story of the first patient to have been treated at Tawam Hospital using a novel procedure called Thyroid Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation. The procedure was conducted on a 75-year-old male patient, with a history of a large compressive benign thyroid nodule, under local anesthesia. He was discharged after one hour and has been successfully treated.

Historically, surgery has been the only treatment for symptomatic and enlarging thyroid nodules, and patients would inevitably end up having total or hemi thyroidectomy followed by life-long hormonal replacement therapy. Thyroid Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation is a non-invasive procedure that uses friction heat to destroy tumor tissue. Overtime, the body absorbs the ablated tissue, which reduces the size of the nodule. This procedure has several benefits including greater than 50 percent reduction in nodule size, and significant improvement in obstructive symptoms or cosmesis (improved swallowing, reduces bulging neck).

Speaking further towards the new service, Dr. Bachar Afandi, Chief of Endocrinology, at Tawam Hospital, said: “At SEHA, we are constantly in search of providing new breakthroughs for our patients that can help improve outcomes and quality of life. By offering this new treatment at Tawam Hospital, we truly believe it will change the management of benign thyroid nodules, improving outcomes for a subset of patients with symptomatic, non-cancerous thyroid nodules, when surgery is considered too risky, or rejected by patients . Additionally, patients who undergo the procedure are extremely unlikely to require permanent thyroid hormone medication.”

Dr. Jamal AlKoteesh, Chairman of Clinical Imaging at Tawam Hospital, Head of Interventional Radiology Clinical Reference group at SEHA - Abu Dhabi, said: “There is tremendous potential for this emerging technology. This procedure isn’t widely available yet outside major hospitals, and it won’t be appropriate for everyone, but it gives patients a reasonable alternative to surgery. It’s not as definitive as surgery, but it’s still very effective with minimal side effects. Thyroid nodules are very common and, although many people will never require any intervention for their nodules, there is a significant minority who will seek treatment due to symptoms. I expect Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to be a transformative new option for patients.”

Thyroid Radiofrequency and Microwave Ablation should be opted for patients at high surgical risk and thyroid compression symptoms (airway compression, hoarseness due to vocal cord paralysis, difficulty in swallowing due to esophageal compression). The procedure is also favorable in patients exhibiting cosmesis (appearance of a lump or bulge in the neck), enlarging thyroid nodules with surgery ruled out, autonomously functioning thyroid nodules (AFTN), recurrent thyroid cancers, or those with high surgical risk.

Elaborating on his experience with the procedure, the patient said: “I have been suffering for several years, being unable to perform basic functions such as swallowing, it’s been terrible. Today, following the procedure, my life has changed substantially.  I am immensely grateful to the team at Tawam Hospital for their professionality, compassion, and expertise.”

To find out more about Tawam Hospital’s services, book an appointment by calling 800 50 or visit SEHA.ae. You can also book an appointment through the SEHA Mobile app or WhatsApp us on 02-4102200.

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About SEHA:

The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC–SEHA – is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. SEHA is a PureHealth asset, the UAE's largest integrated healthcare platform. 

SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing the community with world-class healthcare. SEHA operates 14 hospitals with over 3,000 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 3 blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 117,162 inpatients annually and conduct 43,262 surgeries, as well as treating more than five million outpatients.

SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 14,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care, and administrative personnel. Learn more at www.seha.ae